


Under the City Lights

by Heartscobe



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Clubbing, Comfort, Dancing, F/M, Fluff, Help, Jamison helps Mei, Meihem - Freeform, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Partying, Slow Romance, Waltzing, and there's pizza, junkmei, junkrat x mei, meirat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-07-14 03:36:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16032167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heartscobe/pseuds/Heartscobe
Summary: (Meihem One Shot)As the unsavory trends in her work life start to leave Mei feeling rather frustrated, she realizes some time away from the base is just what she needs. The only problem is, everyone is busy. Well...Almost everyone. Against her better judgement she decides to invite the eccentric junker recruit, Jamison, out for a night on the town. But perhaps he was just the right company she needed all along.Mei and Junkrat go out for the night to the downtown city district.





	Under the City Lights

Irritated. Bitter. Upset. And just downright annoyed. 

These were just a few ways Mei could describe how she was feeling in this very moment. She had wonderful, well thought out ideas that she was so eager to share. Ideas that could make a difference in not only their work but also the world. That’s why she joined Overwatch in the first place! To make a difference in the world she loved so dearly. But every meeting played out the same every single day. Almost like clockwork. 

Winston would take the lead, introducing the main topics to cover in the time they had scheduled together (all topics Mei had already attentively reviewed and prepared for in advance). He would open it up for discussion, which nine times out of ten warrented a immediate response from Commander Morrison. Him and Ana would bicker a bit back and forth while Reinhardt ALWAYS sided with Ana. A lot of the younger recruits would even hardly be awake for any of it; simply just being there because it was mandatory. Mei would jump up at any possible lul in the conversation, attempting to use the silence as means to squeeze into the discussion and insert her ideas. 

Every time her efforts resulted in failure. 

Her heart would sink and she would cringe every time someone talked over her. Almost as if her words had been hitting deaf ears. Not even the slightest acknowledgement to be had from any of her teammates, except for the ones who were not following the conference to begin with. Before she could even make any more attempts, their scheduled time together would come to a close.

As she marched down the halls of Overwatch Base: Gibraltar, eyebrows knitted closely together and tears bubbling up in her eyes, she couldn’t shake the feeling as if she was being underappreciated. She didn’t want to seem too cocky, but she had to give herself at least SOME credit. She was a hard worker! Even if they didn’t end up liking her ideas in the long run, she would appreciate it if they would at least take the time to listen! To not interrupt her and talk over her as soon as she had the chance to have a platform! 

She stopped in her tracks, taking a deep breath before wiping the tears from her cheeks. All the pent up tension and frustration was not good for her. Her muscles and jaw already felt sore from all the strain her anger was putting on her physically. Her head ached with the millions of toxic thoughts scurrying around inside it. 

Such a state is truly not healthy. She needed a clear head. A clear heart. She needed to unwind. 

That’s it! 

She snapped her finger, perking up at her newly formed idea. Her mother had always taught her that self-care was just as important as your work! Without it, you would never be able to put your best foot forward and face what tomorrow brings!

She was going to treat herself to some fun. It had been a while since she had taken the time to go out on the town. Her girl friends at Overwatch would get dolled up together every once in a while and invite her to join them out on the mainland for the evening; take part in some quality bar-hopping and dancing. However, turning them down to face her work instead became a habit for her. She was so dedicated to it to even give herself the chance to do things like that with her friends. Soon, they just stopped inviting her all together, knowing she would probably prefer her work. Of course that hurt a little. But tonight was going to be different!

She felt a little pep in her step as she bolted down the halls to set the plans into motion!

\------

“Aw Mei..” D.va frowned, lips coated in Dorito powder, “I would love to hit up the mainland tonight! More than anything but..I have a super important stream tonight! It’s for a charity event so I gotta be there...I’m sorry.”

Mei’s eyes lead to the ground. She tried to keep her voice on the not so disappointed side but it was definitely hard. She was counting on D.va to say yes. Every one else had also turned her down with plans they had already made way in advance as well. 

“Oh…” She muttered, “I-It’s okay. I just thought it would be fun. Maybe we can try again some other night?”

“Yes! For sure! I would LOVE that! Oh- Shoot! It’s starting soon I gotta go girl, I’m sorry again! Night!”

Mei lifted her hand to offer a wave and a smile to her but the door was quickly shut before she had the chance. Her smile slowly fell as she turned down the halls toward her dorm. 

All ‘no’s. Every single friend who didn’t upset her in the meeting had prior engagements. She muttered to herself quietly in Mandarin. She truly wasn’t upset at her dear friends for not being able to make on such short notice. She just felt as though the world was working against her. Of course on tonight of all nights when she needed to unwind the most, they were all busy. 

Soon all the bad feelings started to invade her once again. Should she just call it quits and spend the night snuggled up with a novel again? Should she go back to her research until sleep takes over? She shook her head frantically trying to stay steady in her tracks. No, she was going to go out! The thought of dancing under the bright lights, lips touching shot glasses, and feeling warm and fuzzy with drunkenness was something she found herself craving in that moment. She never took the time to go out, and right now that’s what she needed. 

She pondered how to push through; perhaps she could swallow her pride and invite one of her coworkers who happened to frustrate her? Which one frustrated her the least? Then again, if they were to share drinks she may blurt out her frustrations in a drunken ramble. 

“Ugh!” She sighed to herself, thoughts still processing what steps to take next.

A voice rang out behind her that caused her heart to drop. She clasped her eyes shut, collecting herself in preparation of what she was about to face. Of course HE had to show up. 

“G’day, Snowflake! Say, what’s got your panties in a twist?!” 

The tall, lanky junker recruit, Junkrat was now standing behind her. His large and admittedly terrifying companion and bodyguard, Roadhog, lumbered closely to him. Mei scowled at Jamison’s toothy grin as he awaited her answer. 

“Ugh, nothing of your concern, Mr. Fawkes. I can see your going out of your way to get on my nerves. As usual.”

A hardy laugh bubbled in his chest and out through his clownlike smile, “Hooly Dooly, Ice queen! Ya are a real stiff sometimes ya know? Just starting some friendly chatter! No harm meant! What, ya busy?” 

“I’m trying to work something out.” 

“Oooooh. A problem, ey? Anything the great Jamison Fawkes can assist ya with?! Happy to lend ya a HAND iffin you need it.” 

He twisted off his prosthetic arm and gave it a friendly little wave in her direction before busting out in a fit of laughter. Mei narrowed her eyes at him, noticing Roadhog in the background planting his face into his own palm out of pure second-hand embarrassment from Junkrat’s efforts. 

She lightly pushed Jamison’s mechanical arm away from being pushed in her direction with a concerned look on her face, “N-no I don’t need a hand exactly.”

“Aw! Come on! What’s goin on?!” 

It then hit her. Jamison always annoyed her, sure. But he was never one to interrupt her or ignore her when she did speak. In fact, he always craved her attention in any way he could get it; even if it was snappy remarks. In the meetings she always noticed that when she did speak he would perk up, eyes glistening at her for some odd reason she could never understand. Sure he was annoying. Sure he was a criminal. But perhaps...He wasn’t busy?

What was she thinking?! This was JAMISON FAWKES! Crazy Australian bomber with a track record of destruction and a knack for pushing all her buttons! ….But maybe also someone with a free schedule? 

The question lingered on her lips as it took every ounce of self control in her not to ask him. But the night that she wished for hung in the balance. She couldn’t go with him! Not him! But she also couldn’t stand to stay here in the halls of their base for a second longer! She needed to go out! She needed to let loose and just go wild for once! Jamison did happen to be the spitting image of wild. If she truly needed to escape for the night, this may be her only chance. Her face grew bright red as she finally couldn’t hold it in a second longer. Without a pause between words, she blurted it out. 

“JUNKRAT WILL YOU GO OUT WITH ME?!” 

Silence overtook them.

It was a very long silence followed by a single clatter of his metal arm falling from his grip and smacking into the ground. 

She opened one eye to see his eyes widened with disbelief. His mouth agape and cheeks beaming red. Did she...break him?

She felt sweat beading at her forehead as he finally began to stutter. 

“G-G-G-Go. Go o-out with ya? L-Like...GO OUT with ya?”

“A-As in.. do you want to go downtown tonight. Uhm..Go get some drinks.”

He let out a wheezing exhaled sigh before lightly giggling up a storm in a nervous fit, “OH! eh-hehehe GO OUT! Ya wanna go downtown! W-Why uh.” His eyes darted to Roadhog for any means of guidance. He simply offered a shrug, seemingly just as confused if not more than Junkrat was, “S-Sure, Darl! Let’s go downtown!” 

There. It was said and done. Whatever may come next, there was truly no turning back now. But one thing Mei did know for certain: She was going out tonight. And that was that. 

“Good!” She clapped her hands together as if she was sealing the deal before turning on her heels and marching to her room, “Meet you out front at 9.” 

His brain was still processing what had even just happened as he watched her go, cheeks still burning hotter than any explosion he had ever made. Finally he shook his head breaking away from her trance. 

“Ay Roadie.” He giggled, a cocky smirk growing on his face. 

“What.” 

“Looks like I’ve gotta date.”

Roadhog simply eyed Junkrat up and down. 

“Heh.” He chuckled back, “Looks like you need to clean up.”

“Eh?”

“You look like shit.”

 

\-------

 

She found herself sneaking side glances at him as they walked down the cobblestone streets of the lively downtown district. Junkrat was definitely out of his usual element. 

For one, he was clean. Like actually clean. No trace of soot or grime to be found. His hair glimmered a brighter shade of blonde because of it; tied back into a messy ponytail that sat on the back of his head. His cheeks were coated in a collection of freckles that almost resembled constellations. She found herself blushing upon noticing them; it was as if they were little treasures that were long buried under all that dirt. She shook her head trying to suppress the very corny analogy. 

His outfit was clearly borrowed from Lucio. There was no way he owned clothes in such nice condition himself. He sported a pair of clean beige cargo shorts with a dark graphic tee with Lucio’s logo plastered on in. As much as Mei hated to admit it, Jamison really cleaned up nicely. 

His gaze shifted down to her as his cheeks began to glow red. He let out a subtle cough, breaking her from her trance and implying he noticed her eyes glued to him. She jumped, letting out a small squeak before shifting her gaze away, quickly attempting to put their minds elsewhere. 

“Wow sure is crowded out tonight!” she stuttered. 

“Eh. It’s Friday, yeah? Prime goin out time.” 

“Y-Yeah.” 

Another strand of awkward silence.

She was surprised. Usually she could never get Junkrat to shut up. Now getting him to carry on a conversation seemed harder than she thought. What was going on in his head? She half expected him to be causing a ruckus and picking fights upon first arriving knowing him. She remembered the offer Roadhog leant her prior to them leaving; telling her that if he caused any problems, give him a call. She kept it close in the back of her head. But the way things were going so far, she soon tossed that idea aside. 

What has him so quiet? Perhaps he was judging her? Maybe this wasn’t a good idea? She silenced those thoughts. She was out here to shush her anxiety not add to it. If he wasn’t going to bring the fun she would have to make the first move. 

Her eyes caught glimpse of a dive bar a few feet ahead. Her pace quickened, gaining Junkrat’s attention as he trailed behind. 

Upon sitting at the bar she flagged down the bartender, ordering the both of them two shots each. Jamison scurried over, smiling at her. 

“Ohh… Buying me a drink I see? Whad ya get good for us, Snowflake?”

She didn’t answer him, taking both shots in either of her hands and downing them at once. His jaw dropped at the sight of her, cheeks getting redder as a manic laugh bubbled out of him. 

She found herself actually smiling upon getting a rise out of him. As annoying as it was to her any other time, maybe some of his usual craziness is what she needed. 

“There you are.” She observed.

His eyes widened, “Whatcha mean?”

“You’ve been so quiet up until now. It was starting to feel kind of weird honestly.”

He gave her a subtle scowl, stuttering back at her nervously, “Y-Yeah? Well you’ve been quiet too! Don’t go blamin me for the silence. It’s just. Still not a hundred percent sure why you invited me along.”

She cocked her head at him as he took the two shot glasses set out for him in his hands and down them both, mirroring her actions. He fell a little short however, eyes widening mid sip and coughing up a storm once he pulled the glasses away. She covered her mouth trying to hide her laughter as he shot her an exaggerated, angry glare. 

“O-OI! What was that stuff?! ECk!”

“I told the bartender to give us two of whatever would get us very drunk very quickly.” She laughed.

He raised an eyebrow at her as she simply shrugged back, “I’m a lot tougher than I look, Junkrat.”

He smiled at her, setting the shot glasses down and ordering another drink for them both, “Yeah I already knew that.”

She looked at him quizzically before speaking again, “And to answer your question...Everyone else was busy. So don’t go getting any wrong ideas, got it? Like that...this is a date or something.”

He sarcastically batted his eyelashes at her, placing a hand on his chest for emphasis, “Hm..? Whomst, Me?”

“....Whomst isn’t a-???? Ugh, Yes you!”

“Pshh..” He studied his drink, laying his head in his hand, “Already knew that one, Darl. Still...It doesn’t add up to me….almost thought you was askin me out here to off me or somethin.” He shot her a wary glance, “….You ain’t….right?”

She stared at him dumbfounded for a moment before a trill of laughter escaped her lips. “Jamison...Are you for real?!”

His face grew a deep shade of red, “D-Don’t laugh! It’s smart thinkin actually! I had people tryin ta off me my whole life! And ya ain’t always the nicest to me! Thought maybe...I don’t know.. Ya were lookin to rid the world of me finally!”

“Jamison.” She turned to him, lips thinned into a line trying to suppress her laughter, “If you had the slightest idea that I was going to take you out to kill you...Why would you come out in the first place?”

“W..Well I dunno!” He clasped the drink in his hands, cheeks still burning red, “Thought maybe...just maybe you WEREN’T trying to kill me….I’d get to spend some time with ya.”

“You would risk your life coming out...just to spend time with me.” She echoed flattly.

He didn’t answer for a bit, his face grew even redder than before; cheeks puffed up as if he was trying not to explode in a fit of anger and embarrassment. Almost as if he realized after hearing it from her mouth how stupid it must have sounded. “Yeh.” 

“Is that why you’ve been so quiet?”

“....Yeh.” He repeated, still not making eye contact. 

She couldn’t hold back any longer. She suddenly began giggling up a storm at his crazy idea. Deep down she had to admit to herself, it was kind of sweet. To think someone would put there life on the line, mind fogged with the anxious thoughts that it was all coming to an end, all to just spend a little time with her downtown? Ridiculous! But...somewhat charming in it’s own silly way.

He didn’t seem to take to her laughter very kindly. He scowled at her, his bottom lip sticking as he shot her a deep frown, “Oh yeah laugh it up why don’t ya! So, tell me then! What’s the reason anyways?”

Her laughter faltered as she processed his request. Her smile softly fell as the bad thoughts and feelings that plagued her earlier started to creep back in, “I wanted to get out of there...Gibraltar...but I didn’t want to be alone.” She finally answered.

Jamison’s expression softened. His eyes scanned her face almost as in deep thought; soon he spoke up. “Yeah.” He answered back; his voice clear and somewhat gentle, “I can understand that.” 

There was something oddly inviting about his aura in that moment Mei couldn’t put her finger on. Something human. She couldn’t help but ask, “Are you okay, Junkrat?”

He perked up. It wasn’t often he got an invitation from Mei-ling Zhou herself to share his feelings. Usually more of a spit in his general direction and a death glare that would send shivers up his spine. He certainly wasn’t passing it up. 

“Ah it’s just. Ya know. Not what this blokes use to!” He chuckled nervously, shrinking smaller in his seat the more he went on. Fingers tapping anxiously on the bartop, “It’s so clean. Almost too clean? I mean you can practically see yourself in those sparklin tile floors! Sometimes it feels like the walls are closin in on ya, in every which direction!” He let out a small whimper of distress, “No leg room! Can’t spread out! Walls everywhere! And when the walls ain’t closing in the stares from the strangers surroundin ya sure make ya feel cramped too! Just glarin at ya, brains tickin with the thoughts of when you are gunna fail! The fake, beading, polite ones are even worse! So fake! Unreal! I can’t STAND fake! That’s why I like you...Ya may beat on me a bit but ya ain’t fake. If they are gunna stare at me like that they might as well just DO somethin about it instead of keepin me guessin!”

Mei sat and pondered his words for a bit. It was frankly a lot to take in. Junkrat and his bodyguard hadn’t been in the Overwatch family for too long; she never gave any thought to how it may had been affecting them. She was under the impression that due to their outgoing and obnoxious personalities that they were fitting in just fine and making the facility their home. She never considered the fact that part of it may had been a cover up for not wanting to ask for help. In fact, she never considered his feelings at all. Change is necessary in life. Whether it is wanted or not, it is truly needed. In that respect, it can be scary. Mei knew that for a fact. When she woke up from cryostasis, change was everywhere. And adjusting to a whole new life was one of the most difficult things she had to face.

She frowned. It wasn’t that she felt bad for him. She knew eventually he would find his way, for sure. But she sympathized with him. She understood. 

She eyed their now empty glasses and gave him a sharp nod. “Sounds like we both need another drink.” 

\--------

She could tell that just opening her ears to Jamison was helping him quite a bit, and in turn, made her feel a little better as well. Perhaps it was what he needed too. The company of someone who wasn’t around him 24/7 and knew him inside and out. A fresh face who was willing to listen. She was actually a little grateful she could provide him with that. 

As she gingerly sipped on her new glass of rum and coke she could start to feel the alcohol take an effect on her. Nothing drastic quite yet, but just a small warm hum that ran from her head to her fingertips. Her muscles felt nice and relaxed; she couldn’t help but smile. 

She wasn’t sure it was because she let her guard down around him due to the libations or if she really took the time to listen; but Jamison was actually making her laugh. Truly laugh. No pity laughter or awkward laughter to try and brush his remarks aside. He would spit a few jokes or go off on one of his tangents, telling her the miraculous stories he had lived (or atleast imagined he did) during his time in Australia and his world tour with his large, intimidating counterpart. She could instantly tell that some of the aspects of his story were played up quite a bit to get a reaction from her, but even so, it was strangely entertaining. 

A bit later they were asked to leave the establishment. The bar they had rested in for quite some time now was also holding a “Karaoke Night” around the same time. They were asked to leave after Junkrat couldn’t hold in his laughter during a rather embarrassing performance. It was one thing that someone would chuckle lightly at someone’s expense and not get caught, but Junkrat’s laughter was loud, piercing and definitely couldn’t be ignored even if someone were to try. 

Jamison hobbled out of the bar with Mei, fumes blowing from his ears as he shouted back at the man who escorted them out. 

“YEAH?! DIDN’T WANNA WASTE ANOTHER MINUTE THERE ANYWAYS!”

Mei giggled, “Jamison there are plenty of other places. Couldn’t you have just held it in for a little bit longer? Aw...I can’t help but feel sorry for that man. He must have been having such a nice time then you laughed at him!”

“Psh! Darl! That bloke was so far gone! He probably didn’t even know what song he was singin himself! Let alone notice that someone was havin a good laugh at em! Hey! Here’s a deal, If you can tell me what song that guy was singin, next round is on me!”

Mei held her finger to her chin in deep thought, “Hmm..It sounded a lot like ‘Come on Eileen’.”

“Oh please! Come on E-....Wait a minute.” He thought back to it as best as he could, “Hooly Dooly you may be right. Well shit, Snowflake looks like I’m buyin! Say! Did ya see when he whipped out that harmonica out of his pocket! He was out of it yes, but hey, the dag came prepared!”

She let out a short hardy laugh, “Okay, yeah that was pretty funny.” 

“See!?” He shot her a big toothy grin.

Her attention was soon taken by the steady, rhythmic beat emanating from a club up ahead. The flashing colored lights that danced out of it’s windows and onto the cobblestone streets below drew her to them like a moth to a flame.

Her eyes widened, “Junkrat, let’s go there!” 

He smirked, grappling on to her arm with his and whisking her to the entrance, “Your word is my command, darl! It’s your night! I’m just livin in it!”

She didn’t protest away from his touch. She didn’t feel threatened or off-put in the very least, and if she did she would instantly make that clear. She felt the heat from his body brush against her skin. It broke through her naturally cold exterior and warmed her inside and out. Her cheeks beamed red; it drew her to push closer to him. It felt...nice. 

After they entered the club, they grabbed themselves a table for two and ordered a few more drinks. They were so lost in their conversations that they hardly noticed the piled up empty glasses they were slowly collecting in one massive pile.

Mei was definitely feeling it now. She couldn’t stop giggling, which Jamison was eating up madly. She could tell he was starting to feel the drink’s effects as well by the way he hobbled about as well as how he was looking at her; dreamily without any care if she noticed. She found herself averting her eyes, heart racing in her chest whenever she would catch a glimpse. She almost stop for a moment to recollect; to remind herself that it was Junkrat. Yet, her heart wouldn’t stop fluttering. 

Eventually they were spitting questions of each other’s favorites back and forth at rapid speeds; quizzing even themselves to see if they could guess the other person’s answer before they had time to speak. 

Jamison tapped his finger on the tabletop, words slurring slightly, “Okay Okay. Favorite….movie.”

Her lips thinned as she thought and then let out a sigh, “Okay don’t laugh at me.”

He eyed her, smirking wickedly and using his pointer finger to draw an “X” on his chest as if to say “Cross my heart!”

Her eyes darted to the ceiling as she confessed, “Bambi...I really love Bambi. I use to watch it a ton as a kid okay! I love the colors and the music and...Ugh it makes me so emotional! I cry every time!”

Junkrat practically leapt over the table at her, “ME TOO! I cry too! I mean how can ya not! The little doe’s mama!”

“Right?! Ugh Everyone always laughs at me when I admit that! They say I’m too soft.”

“Well we can watch it togetha and cry togetha too. Fuck em! It’s sad and whoever says it aint, well, they don’t gotta heart!”

“Aw well I wouldn’t say they don’t have a heart…” She looked down at her drinks, running her fingers over the rim of the glass, “They are right though... I’m pretty soft. Maybe that’s why nobody listens to me.”

“Ain’t no crime in bein soft.” 

Mei’s gaze shot up at Jamison, who was now studying her with a stern and serious face. 

“The world is a shitty place. Findin people in it who aren’t afraid to cry and care well...that’s a rarity nowadays. Being able to care and still have hope...being soft...in this world… that’s the toughest shit ever. Especially what you’ve been through, yeah?” He continued, “I’d say your a genuine badass, Mei-ling. No doubt about it.” 

All she could do was stare at him. Jamison was a liar. She knew that from day one. He was a compulsive liar who lied to everyone around him. Never with bad intentions or hate, but rather he just couldn’t help it. But she could tell when he was lying. It was obvious. Clear as day. 

This time. He was telling the truth. He was being a hundred percent real with her; she could feel it in her heart. 

She just stared back him a bit longer. Tears bubbling up in her eyes. She initially invited him out just as an excuse to leave. To get away from things. She never expected him to cause her to become so overwhelmed with emotion in the process. He was being truthful. And it was something she needed to hear. 

She wiped the tears away quickly in hopes he wouldn’t notice and took a deep breath in to collect herself. Shooting him a thankful smile in the process. He of course, smiled back. A soft smile that caused her heart to skip. 

“And about those guys not listening to ya in the meetings...May I suggest a lil somethin?” He asked.

She nodded.

“You’re very quiet.” He continued, poking her with his pointer finger right above her chest to really drive the point, “You need to speak up. They ain’t listenin not because they think you are soft and love to walk all over ya. They are walkin all over ya cuz they can’t hear ya.” 

“They can’t...hear me?”

“Yeah! You are as quiet as a mouse, darl! Your a smart chick yeah?”

She nodded in agreement. 

“And ya feel confident in your work yeah? That it’s gunna do some great stuff for us?”

She hesitated, but nodded in agreement again. 

“Then SHOUT IT OUT! If they can’t hear ya, they won’t listen to ya! Make em listen! Here..we will make a plan.” He leaned in dramatically, eyeing the crowd around them as if it was some sort of secret, illegal exchange. She couldn’t help but laugh, “Ya try it out. Yeah? You really give shoutin it out a go on your own. If it doesn’t work for ya..give me a look. I’ll make some noise. I’m good at it! You’ve seen me! I can be super loud!”

She chuckled, “Yes, extremely.”

“YEAH! So then they’ll have to listen to ya..and then you can try on your own again next time...Deal?” He held out his mechanical hand to her, and she took it in her grasp, giving it a sharp shake. 

“Deal.” She giggled, “Thank you Jamison.”

“It’s my pleasa.” 

She smiled at him sweetly. “By the way..what’s your favorite movie, Jamison?”

He shot her a glance. Eyes curling with his wicked smirk, “Bambi.”

\-----

They continued on for a while, quizzing one another and elaborating on each others answers. It felt nice to really get to know one another outside of the stress of Overwatch and the duties that came along with it. Mei was really starting to feel confident in her choice to come out. And also her choice to invite Jamison. She never thought she would ever admit this to herself, but she was almost kind of glad it was just the two of them and that nobody else could make it.

Their joyful conversation was soon interrupted by a waiter approaching their table and placing a very ornate looking cocktail directly infront of Mei. It was colorful, yellow fading into red almost like a sunset. It’s rim was lined with sugar crystals and a small, bright red strawberry rested in the edge ever so delicately. She bit her lip, tucking her hair behind her ears as she tried to recall if this was something she had ordered herself.

“Uhm sir.” She spoke up politely, “I am very sorry but I didn’t order this drink.” 

“I understand, ma'am.” He answered back. He pointed at a man sitting at the bar, “The gentleman over there ordered it for you.”

Oh great.

Her stomach dropped as she made direct eye contact with the sender, sitting at the bar surrounded by his wing-men. Mei, just like most women she knew, had a good sense of men to look out for when out and about. His appearance and the way this stranger had carried himself triggered almost a flight or fight response within Mei. She could visibly see him eyeing her body up and down from where he was sitting, and it was clear he didn’t care that she saw or how it made her feel. He made direct eye contact with Mei again before puckering his lips at her as if he were planting a smooch on her from where he was sitting. She could feel her skin crawl. 

This unpleasant stranger did have some nerve. Mei huffed; couldn’t this man see that she was clearly in the company of someone else? Not that Jamison and her were on a date to begin with. But that man didn’t know that! She was sitting alone with someone! And he just inserted his unwanted company in with no regards of their feelings! If the smooch from across the room wasn’t a turn off on it’s own, his inconsiderate actions sure were in her eyes. 

Jamison wasn’t a good judge of how to act in social situations, but if anyone were to give him credit for anything, he was attentive to detail. He saw the drink, the man and how he looked at Mei, and then Mei’s hands. They curled into an awkward, fiddling mess on the table top as she tried to scramble to avert her eyes; clearly unsure of what to do next. She didn’t want to admit it, but this was the first time she had ever been in this situation. And Jamison knew her well enough to know she was too polite to turn it down. So he did what he could do to help. 

He swiftly plucked the drink from infront of Mei without saying a word, twiddling it delicately in is left hand as he rested his head coily in his right, gazing directly into the sender’s eyes. The man at the bar looked confused at first, giving Jamison a frustrated look. Jamison merely smiled at him flirtatiously, spinning the cocktail in his hand before wrapping his lips delicately on it’s sugar coated rim. Slowly he pressed the sweet liquid against his lips, sipping it down without breaking sight with the sender. Once finished, he licked the remaining bits of sugar off his lips seductively before waving his fingers in his direction. To really send it home, he shot him a small wink, causing the man’s clearly homophobic wing-men to bust out in a choir of disses and taunts toward the man. He grumbled and turned back in his seat, ashamed of how things had played out.

“Aw come on, I’m cute!” Junkrat whined, plucking the strawberry from the rim and chomping on it angrily. The waiter just excused himself, trying not to laugh at the sender’s attempts and remain professional. 

Mei stared for a bit, mouth agape at what she was just apart of. Perhaps it was due to the stress that had been building up at work over the past months. Perhaps it was the joy in seeing the distressed look plastered on the gross man’s face when he didn’t get what he wanted. Perhaps it was just Jamison himself, and his over the top, animated way of going about things. Whatever it was, Mei couldn’t stop laughing. She laughed the hardest laugh she had made in a long time, accidently letting out a few embarrassing snorts along the way. She quickly tried to subdue her laughter, holding her face in her hands, breathing deeply to calm down. When she removed them from her face, all she could see was Jamison, staring back at her with twinkling eyes and mouth hung open. His face glowing a deep red. 

 

“W-What?” She giggled, wiping the tears from her eyes. 

A wide smile grew on his face; a large one that nearly took up half of it.

“That was the prettiest laugh I’ve ever heard…” He breathed dreamily. “You should do that more often.”

She swatted at him, face getting redder, “Jamie!”

“I-I mean it, darl....” He sighed before taking in the last bit of his own drink, “Hooly dooly..”

She smiled sweetly, tucking her hair behind her ears again. Her cheeks glowing even rosier than before. “Thanks for saving me from that creep…”

He raised his glass at her as if to accept her gratitude. “I live ta serve.”

She rolled her eyes, chuckling slightly, “Right. Sure you do.” 

They stared into each other's eyes for a while, unable to look away. Lost in eachother in that very moment. Jamison found his hand shyly dancing over to Mei’s side of the table, inch by inch, in hopes of maybe taking her hand into his. But he refrained, unsure if it was a move he should make. The last thing he wished to do after getting this close to her was scaring her off with unwanted advances. His fingers curled inward toward his palm in hesitation. He took quick notice of her eyes widening while the heavy beat of the club’s music suddenly changed. 

She lead her hand to her chest, feeling the rhythm rattle inside her body. 

“I love this song!” She chimed, face beaming with excitement. 

He smiled, finally facing his fears and reaching out. Taking her hand into his. “Then what are we waitin for?” He wrapped his fingers around hers guiding her to the dance floor. “Let’s dance, Snowflake.” 

\---

 

Jamison lead them to the dance floor, pushing past the drunken bar patrons that were too lost in the music and their own intoxication to really pay them any mind. Mei’s eyes lingered on him as he lead the way. Despite being completely surrounded by strangers left and right, all cascaded in the cool blue lights beaming from the ceiling, Jamison stuck out amongst all of him. He was like a beacon of warmth in an ocean of blue. Mei stared at him unblinking as her cheeks reddened. 

He finally stopped, turning to her with a warm smile on his face. Standing to his full, nearly 7 foot, height, he pulled her into him. Taking her hand in his, and resting his mechanical hand on her waist. She blushed at his touch; even with his false hand, she could feel the warmth of his fingertips bleeding past the fabric of her shirt and onto her skin. She felt herself shudder at his touch; she bit her lips trying to suppress this newfound excitement. 

As if the extremely tall Junker man taking a very petite, plump woman that was nearly half his size out on to the dance floor wasn’t enough to stand out in the crowd, their dance surely would. He began to lead them into a dance that was much more unique in comparison to the other couples.

He began to lead them in a waltz. 

He swung Mei delicately on the dance floor, her feet swiftly shuffling beneath her trying to keep up with him. Soon they got into the swing of things. She looked up at him, their eyes connecting as he twirled her every which direction ever so gracefully. She felt as though she was floating on air, the way he lifted her and guided her across the floor with every move. He would briefly take a moment every so often to twirl her around in front of him, gazing at her curvy form as she complied; then pulled her right back in when the moment was right. It was extremely surprising to her to say the least how balletic of a dancer Jamison truly was. She felt as though she was a princess at the ball rather than just another girl at the club. 

She was so hypnotized by his display that she hardly realized the other patrons on the dance floor becoming rather irritable with them taking up so much room. Neither of them noticed, and even if they did, they couldn’t find it in them to care. To them, they were the only two people in the whole world within that very moment. The feeling was magical. 

Mei was finding that this night had been full of the unexpected. She didn’t expect for her to be so overcome with the feeling to come out in the first place. Followed by the unexpected urge to blurt out a request for Jamison to join her. The unexpected fun she had in his company, listening to his stories and laughing at his jokes. The unexpected grace of Jamison’s dance that he drew her in with. 

But the feeling she was having within this very moment, as he glided and whirled with her on the dance floor, was the most unexpected part of it all. 

She found herself in a state that she never in a million years expected to feel toward Jamison. A state of yearning. A state of desire. She wasn’t sure if she should attribute it to the fuzzy feeling in her brain that the large collection of drinks had left behind, or perhaps just Jamison himself and the side he was showing her tonight that she had yet to see before. Whatever it was, the drinks sure were not helping her in withholding these feelings.

She soon found herself lingering closer to him in a dizzy trance. Her thoughts were too jumbled in a hazy blur to think her sudden impulses over before acting on them. Jamison’s eyes widened as his tipsy dance partner turned her back toward him, pushing her butt against his crotch. He hesitated slightly as she lead his hands down to her hips, but he soon complied, tightly taking her into his hold as she began to sway her hips back and forth with the rhythm of the song. His heart raced as he fell into her trance, pressing his body against her as she continued to grind against him; her actions miming those of the other drunken, lusting patrons around them. 

She closed her eyes, taking in the sweet music and letting it guide her body as she swayed and rolled against him. She could feel his body heat radiating off of him, seeping through her clothes and warming her to the bone. Warmth was a rarity to her, something she craved and held on to when she could get it. Jamison had presented her with the most powerful warmth she had ever felt. One that excited her and drove her to pull him even closer. 

He trembled as he pulled himself in to her, brushing his lips against the back of her neck as the music continued to lead her. She ran one hand down his arm and on top of his organic hand; she curled her fingers inward, urging him to grip onto her waist even tighter. She inhaled sharply as he followed her orders, roughly digging his nails into her sides. Her other hand was working its way up behind his body and toward the back of his head; her fingers running through his messy blonde hair as he swayed with her. 

Her chest heaved as he brushed his lips against her ear. She could hear him whispering to her. She couldn’t make out what he was saying over the pulsing music, but she knew it excited her. It drew her in closer to him, causing her to force her grind against his crotch even harder than before. A raspy moan escaped his lips and she could feel her heart fluttering in her chest. 

It felt like an escape. All the tension pent up within her had been released within that very moment. Her body engulfed in a pure state of euphoria as the cool blue lights rippled across her skin. The music pulsing through her veins as her icey body thawed against Jamison’s intense heat. His fingertips dancing and digging against her jean shorts, as if pleading to feel her raw, soft form against his. It was a moment she never imagined sharing with him, but she embraced it all in its intense, passionate glory in the middle of this night club. 

Soon the song came to a stop, and in turn, so did their dance. They blinked, slowly peeling themselves away from one another as if being woken from a trance once the song came to its end. Mei turned, eyes locking with Jamison’s as she faced him. He stared back in complete awe of her; something she was very use to from him, but this time it was different. It was softer, tame and full of wonder. A soft, closed smile slowly formed on his face, his eyes curling with his lips as he took her cheek into his hand, softly caressing her face against his palm in a loving manner. There was not many words they could exchange over the booming melody surrounding them, but his look seemed to speak for itself. It was clear he had enjoyed himself. And she had to admit, so did she.

Mei blushed, smiling back as she took his hand into hers, and guided him off the dance floor. 

\----

An hour later the two stumbled out of the club in a even drunker state than before. Laughing loudly and carrying on as they made their way down the same cobblestone street. 

Mei felt a hankering feeling lingering over her. Her mouth buzzed and hummed as she smacked her lips trying to put her finger on just what she needed. She mulled over the right words, muttering to herself in Mandarin, desperately trying to piece together the words as Jamison watched her intently. 

Mei found that most of her nights out (particularly the ones that involved copious amount of alcohol) tended to end the same each time. With a hunger for loads of junk food. She could never really place why that always seemed to be the case, she just knew the feeling would hit her suddenly toward the end of the night like a semi truck going full speed. And when the craving came on, there was no stopping her. All regards for any diet or eating plan she had strictly stuck to at the time had gone out the window. She was too drunk to care. And certainly too drunk to pass it up. 

She thought for a moment longer before finally speaking up. She spoke the only words she could seem to get out, her voice groaning in a very humorous and not so lady-like fashion as she spat it out. 

“CHEESE.” She grunted, a wicked smile forming on her face as she curled her fingers with excitement. “I would love some cheese! I could eat all the cheese in the world right now! Ó, wǒ de shàngdì!” 

Jamison’s eyes widened as he quickly fumbled for his phone.She continued to remind him of how much of an absolute genius she was in his eyes. He giggled madly trying to type in his phone her request. The letters all seemed to blur together, frustrating him slightly as he just resorted to drunkenly speaking his request into the phone, “Phone! Find cheese! Please! Eh?! It’s broken!” 

Mei bursted out in a fit of laughter, reeling her hand back and slapping his back, almost causing him to lose balance and fumble over. 

It seemed to have knocked some sense into him. He caught himself, quickly springing up to his full height and shouting in excitement, “OH wait a tick! I got it! Cheese is like….on pizza yeah?!”

“OOOOH!” Mei beamed at his otherwise quite obvious statement as if it were some sort of crazy scientific breakthrough, “JAMIE! You are right! I love pizza!”

He took both of her hands into his, “Then let’s get some! I’ll get ya some pizza, darl! All the pizza you want! I can steal a whole lotta-. Wait. No stealing right. Anyways! Let’s get a HUGE pie! Yeah!? One that takes up the whole table! I know just the place!”

Mei could feel her mouth watering at the thought of it. She was so excited she could hardly get the words out, just an excited squeal that seemed to speak for itself. Jamison acted on it, taking her hand into his as he drunkenly skipped with her down the streets to their dream destination. 

 

\-----

Mei found herself sitting across from Jamison in a small, quaint little hole in the wall that specialized in both making pizza and various flavors of soft pretzels. An interesting combination to say the least but Mei was too drunk to take notice of that. The smell of the sweet, fresh pizza doe they were baking wafted from the ovens and brushed across her nose. She shivered, the smell warranting a grumble from her empty belly. It was just what she needed. Jamison smirked as he watched her sway back and forth in her seat patiently. 

The young waiter presented them with a large box, opening it to reveal a mouth watering pie, topped with extra layers of cheese, just as Mei requested (not that she quite remembered doing so). 

“AH!” She gasped, clasping her hands to her face at the big reveal. “A pizza!” 

Jamie let out a sharp single giggle, practically face planting into the table at her silly reaction. She was just too cute to handle. 

“Yes, darl!” He chuckled lightly, “We ordered this, remember?”

She sat for a moment trying to recall. Now that she really thought about it, she was too drunk to even remember how they got there. Her mind was too fuzzy to really give thinking it over any more effort; she just simply smiled back at him. A twisted, embarrassed smile that seemed to imply she knew how deep into the drinks she really had gotten. He laughed loudly, shaking his head as he scooped up a piece and took it into his mouth in all it’s cheesy greatness. Unable to wait any longer, she too grabbed a slice for herself. The cheese melted on her tongue in a warm, creamy mass that caused a rather embarrassing moan to escape her lips. She couldn’t help it, nor did she care who heard. If they felt what she had when taking a bite of such a delectable slice of pie, they would understand. She truly believed looking back on it that if she had also tried their food sober she would have reacted the same. Jamie giggled, seemingly pleased with her response. 

The establishment was small but filled to the brim with other customers that were all in the same state as them. It was to be expected. It was one of the only restaurants open at 2 in the morning with heavenly, greasy foods, ripe for the picking. There was a strange but comforting sense of unity within the pizza / pretzel joint. It made sense; giving a bunch of crazy drunk adults good food would put them into a friendly and sociable mood. Mei couldn’t help but smile at the patrons as they sang along and swayed at whatever music was playing over the radio. Some even passed by their table, pointing at Jamison’s shirt and making remarks on how much they loved Lucio and his music. Jamie would just shrug, smiling as he waved them off, “Ah, he’s alright I guess.”. It was enriching to see people spreading such kindness to one another; carrying on as if they were all friends with one another and not strangers who had just been swept in off the street by the pizza aroma. Mei wished the world could be full of such kindness. 

Jamison and her continued to talk, and after some time they found themselves slowing down; it was clear their big night out was drawing close to its end. 

“This was nice. I’m glad we did this.” Mei spoke up, wiping the pizza crust crumbs from her fingertips. 

She caught Jamison mid sucking sauce off is thumb. He chuckled nervously, “Was it all ya wanted it to be, snowflake?”

“Yeah… I really needed that. Thank you again for joining me.”

“Glad I could come. Also glad ya decided to keep me around and not off me like I originally feared.” He winked at her playfully. 

She laughed, rolling her eyes in the process, “I’m still not sure why you would think I would be capable of doing something so...barbaric!” 

“Ooooh. I dunno, Ice queen! Like ya said earlier..you are a lot tougher than ya look!” He picked up his plastic knife, jokingly jabbing it forward, “It would be simply really, take poor ole unsuspecting Jamison around a back alley and WHAP! Gone for good!”

She snatched the knife from him, playfully tossing it aside, “Oh please, Junkrat, don’t be so dramatic! You may get on my nerves every now and again but even so..I would never do such a thing.”

“Could have fooled me with those death glares ya always pointin my way! Hahaha Ya are a scary one sometimes, darl! Soon you would have been dumpin me poor lifeless body out in the cold..ah! Roadie! I can see the light!”

 

“Well!” She clumsily fumbled for an excuse, “You’re asking for it the way you always pick on me!”

“....Pick on ya…?” 

“Yeah you were always picking on me!” She continued, in a lighthearted drunken ramble, “How can I not hit you with those angry glares when you always seemed to push my buttons! Even when I tell you to stop! You are so persistent. When you first came to base I couldn’t stand you. Hahah Wow, remember that comment you made at me. Ugh the one about getting cold just looking at me. I remember you got me so worked up!” 

“...Worked up, huh?”

“YES! I was so mad!” She laughed at the memory, “Like I get it, I wear big, heavy clothes all the time but I really am cold! I mean the cryostasis for god’s sake. It was pretty obvious! Haha ugh I remember going back to my room and just blowing up! Looking back on it it was pretty silly I guess.. But gosh you just would keep those comments coming and it drove me crazy!” 

“....Hmm.” 

“You never stopped either. Avoiding you was just impossible! You always popped up everywhere I went and even in the most serious of missions you still picked on me! Laughing at me and poking fun at me! It really got under my skin haha.. I thought maybe it was just Junker culture but Roadhog never did any of that so I just chalked it up to you being a big….b-bully….”

Her words faded as she looked up, stopping her drunken rant to see Jamison sitting in front of her. His playful demeanor had completely fizzled out, his face now wearing a darkened expression as he poked at his pizza leftovers resting on his plate. His lips thinned into a slight frown. 

Mei inhaled sharply, realizing what she had done. In the moment she was under the impression she was playing along with his antics, when in fact she was just caught up in a joking tipsy rant, unsure of how her words could have really affected him. Her blood ran cold as the realization hit her...She hurt his feelings. 

The one person who didn't frustrate her. Who took the time to come out with her and help her feel better despite how she treated him. Despite the real lingering fear that she was just showing him kindness just to kill him off, and still coming along anyways just to grasp the chance to be in her presence. And she just downright insulted him.

Her stomach twisted and turned. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. 

She tried her best to spit something out. Anything. Anything to save his feelings from being hurt even more, “Jamie..I-”

A sudden feeling washed over her. A feeling of pain and urgency. She clasped her hands over her mouth. Jamison looked up from his plate, his expression suddenly riddled with concern. 

“You okay, Mei? You look pale..” He observed. 

She could feel sweat beading at her forehead as a rush of cold shivered up her body. She knew then exactly what was about to happen. She had overdone it, and she was paying the price. She was going to hurl.

Her eyes darted to the long line leading the ladies room. Knowing fully well she wasn’t going to make it in time. So she took the next best option. She quickly excused herself, her chair scraping against the floor as she rushed from her seat and out the front door. Jamison quickly scrambled after her, grabbing her purse she left behind in the process. 

He burst through the door, the cold fall air hitting his skin as his gaze darted left and right wildly. Desperately searching for her. His eyes caught sight of a small group of strangers all huddled and looking into the mouth of an alleyway to his left. Some of them grimacing at the sight while others laughed. He knew very well what it was. Scowling hard he marched over to them. The strangers caught sight of the lanky, cursing australian man coming at them at full speed and quickly scrambled away in fear. 

“GET OUTTA HERE YA CUNTS! This ain’t some show alright!!” He shooed them angrily. “Fuck off!” 

He turned, his expression softening as he watched the petite scientist now curled up against the wall. Vomiting on the ground below her. His frown deepened as he noticed a small trickle of tears streaming down her plump, rosy cheeks. 

“Oh, Darl…” He slung her purse across his shoulder and rushed over to her. As soon as he got to her began softly stroking her back while she finished. Every once in a while he would stab curious onlookers with angry glares until they scurried away, leaving her be, then would quickly turn back to her making sure she was okay. 

She soon finished getting everything out of her system, turning around, falling to her butt. She practically almost sat in her own puke before Jamison hastily scooted her more to the right to avoid doing so. Tears continued to flood down her cheeks. She gulped, choking back audible sobs to escape making an even bigger mess of herself. 

He frowned, holding her shoulders in his hands, “Hey, It’s okay. No need ta cry. Jamie’s here! He’s gunna help fix ya up real nice and we can get on home okay? So don’t you worry a bit, snowflake. It’s gunna be okay. You get it all out? You need anything?” He offered her a sweet half smile, which only caused her to cry even more. 

“Jamie!” She buried her face into her hands, “I’m so sorry!” 

“W-what are ya on about, Mei? Everything is fine.”

“Everything's NOT fine!” She corrected sharply, “I-I was a jerk! I said such mean things to you after you have done so much to help me! You came out with me even though I was mean to you! You bought me drinks! You danced with me! You scared off creepy men that made me feel gross! You got me pizza and made me laugh! And I just insulted you!” 

“Mei-” 

“Everything has just been a huge mess lately! Everyone constantly interrupting me and making me feel like..garbage! I needed to get out and I should have known I would mess this up too! I always go on tangents when I drink and now that I was finally feeling better I went and made someone else feel like garbage! And that’s not okay! Someone who was trying to help me! I’m so awful! I-”

“Mei!” He tightened his grip on her, eyes locked on to her’s. She gasped, looking back at him. The yellow of his eyes sparked intensely. 

“You ain’t awful” He continued, “...Don’t ever say you are awful. I’ve seen awful. That ain’t you.” 

“But-” 

“Shhh, love…” He brushed his thumb against her cheeks, softly scooping up tears that were still trickling down her skin. Her cheeks reddened at his touch, “Just breathe a bit, yeah?” 

She nodded back, taking in deep breaths and recollecting herself. After some time in silence she was able to stop the tears, and breathing finally steadied itself out. The lingering feeling of dread still hung over her however. Jamison offered her yet another smile as he stroked her hair, trying to present her with a comforting touch. She gave him a fake smile to express some form of gratitude, but it stung to do so. 

“...I ain’t mad over the things ya said.” He spoke up, gaining her attention. “Just uh...a lil disappointed.”

She cocked her head at him in confusion, urging him to elaborate. 

“I mean..It was pretty bold of ya to assume I was trying to bully ya, Mei, in all honesty.” 

Her head hung low, “...I’m sorry..That was just...the impression I got….I shouldn’t have said anything-”

“I guess Roadie was right about somethin for once!” He giggled nervously, “I’m...ah...pretty bad at flirting, ain’t I?” 

Her head snapped up, eyes locked on him. It took her a second to process his words before she started to question him, “You were….flirting with me?”

He rolled his head around, groaning in embarrassment, “Uhhh...Y-yeah..Trying to... I was...P-Pretty shitty though, huh?” 

She blinked at him, her face becoming increasingly redder by the second. She always had some sort of abiding idea that Jamison had feelings for her, but never gave them a second thought. Her gaze shifted to the ground below them. “W-Well I wouldn’t say...shitty...but… I really did get the impression you were just picking on me..”

“Er.. Yeah...Hey let’s uh..” He scratched the back of his head, “Let’s maybe discuss this some other time? I am not so sure we are in the right state for it. Heh. Or never again! Hey that sounds great. Let’s not bring this up again! Uh..save me the embarrassment...heheh...heh…”

“W-Wait Jamie..” She blushed, “Please don’t beat yourself up. I-I think it’s really sweet you would make the effort to..try and do something like that..f-flirt with me. Truth is… It has been a while since I’ve been seriously flirted with...Well..hehe..aside from the times it’s been from Jesse but. You know...He does that to everyone. And it’s true your flirting methods may have been…” She swayed her shoulders searching for the words, “not the most common..but..I am also not thinking about anyone doing that to me in the first place.” 

“And why not…?”

“Well.” She laughed nervously, “It’s just been a while, like i said! I’m..so dedicated to my work that I don’t really think about that stuff as much as others. I mean I hardly am being noticed by my own coworkers in the meetings...I didn’t even think about being noticed by someone and becoming a...object of their affection.” 

“But you’re a catch!” He yelped, “A real 10! Mei you are a knockout!”

Her face reddened even more as her averted her eyes; extremely overwhelmed by the sudden flood of affection, especially from Jamison.

She adjusted her glasses, trying to hide the red in her face, “W-Wow. Uhm… Well regardless.. I am sorry I didn’t realize your intentions.. You are..just so..” She chuckled lightly, “Different from anyone I ever met, Jamie. You are so animated and silly...I thought you were just messing with me..”

He bit his lip, smiling nervously, “Y-Yeah that’s what Roadie said too.. Sheesh don’t tell em this I’ll never hear the end of it from the big guy...loves to be right.”

She giggled nervously, feeling the lighthearted feelings from earlier slowly replacing the horrible feeling that had hung over her.

“Plus I could probably stand to uh...Try some other methods too I guess.” He admitted, nervously fluffing his hands through his hair.

She bit her lip, smiling at him kindly, “Maybe we should talk about this at a different time...you are right..we are still pretty.. Uhm.” She eyed the puddle of barf lingering next to her, “Well let’s just say this isn’t quite the time and place.” 

“You may be right, darl. Heh, come on. Let’s get ya home, ya party animal.”

They laughed together as Jamie scooped her up off the ground and on to her feet. She responded by pulling him into a small hug. He froze at first, but gave in, wrapping his long arms around her tiny form and hugging her back. 

“Thank you Jamie. For everything.”

“What did I tell ya, darl. I live to serve!” 

She shoved him playfully as they made their way, arm in arm, out of the alleyway, abandoning the pile of puke and bad feelings behind them. 

“Nice purse, by the way. It really matches your outfit.” She joked.

“Don’t ya think so? The color really compliments my eyes, ya know.”

\--------

The only regret Mei had about her adventurous night out was definitely the amount of drinks she had put in herself. And she still did it, knowing very well she had a meeting to make it to the next morning. 

She shuffled down the shiney halls of Gibraltar with a headache throbbing deep in her skull, gaining confused looks from her coworkers as she rounded the corner into the meeting room. Mei immediately took notice of Jamison who was perched in his usual spot next to his massive friend; his boot and peg leg crossed on the top of the table, his eyes shaded by an eccentric pair of bright pink sunglasses. He offered her a goofy smile as he raised his bottle of water at her; almost as if it say through his actions, “We made it! We are still alive!” 

She giggled into her hand as she too made her seat near the front of the table. Shuffling her papers into their proper order, Mei double and triple checked her notes as Winston began to read the meeting agenda. 

She bit her lip as his opening statements read out the same way they always do; and she felt a small tug of hesitation and dread eating away at her. It was going to play out the same as it always has, she knew it. 

“Psst.” 

She followed the sudden sound, her eyes locking with Jamison. He was peering over at her over the brim of his glasses, pointing at her and then giving her a thumbs up. He was right. She had to make today different if she wanted the frustration to stop. Today she would be heard. 

“Does anyone have anything they would like to start us off on?” Winston asked. 

Mei swiftly took advantage of this newfound courage Junkrat had presented her with. Before Soldier had a chance to go off on one of his tangents, Mei shot up from her seat and onto her feet, her chair sliding out from under her as she yelled out as loud as she could,

“I HAVE AN IDEA I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS!”

 

End.

**Author's Note:**

> One of my fondest memories was when my best friend and I ended up in a tiny hole in the wall joint called "Pizza Pretzel" after a long night of getting absolutely wasted. There we sang along with a restaurant full of other drunken girls and its employees to the song "Closer by the Chainsmokers" that was blaring over the restaurant's radio. It felt like we had all known each other forever when in reality we had just met. It was magical. Also this fic is an apology to the man I laughed at when he was singing karaoke at an 80s bar. I'm so sorry sir but when you pulled out that harmonica I just...I lost it.


End file.
